Arnold Demain

Arnold L. Demain
Born(1927-04-26)April 26, 1927
Brooklyn, New York, US
DiedApril 3, 2020(2020-04-03) (aged 92)
Academic background
Alma materMichigan State, University of California, Davis
Doctoral advisorHerman Phaff
Academic work
DisciplineIndustrial Microbiology
InstitutionsMerck Sharp & Dohme, MIT, Drew University

Arnold L. Demain (April 26, 1927 – April 3, 2020) was an American microbiologist.[1][2] During his 60-year career, he gained a reputation in the field of industrial microbiology. He was the Professor of Industrial Microbiology in the Biology Department at MIT and Founder and Head of Department of Fermentation Microbiology at Merck & Co. The August 2010 edition of The Journal of Antibiotics celebrated his scientific career.[3] Demain was described as "one of the world's leading industrial microbiologists" and as "a scientist constantly in the forefront of industrial microbiology and biotechnology." He was "a pioneer in research on the elucidation and regulation of the biosynthetic pathways leading to the penicillins and cephalosporins" and "instrumental in the development of the beta-lactam industry". One feature of Demain's work, according to Microbiology Australia, was his "ability to undertake fundamental research on systems with clear industrial applications, recognising that biodiscovery is the start of the road that includes strain improvement to achieve levels of product synthesis that warrant further investment to take products into the marketplace."[4][5]

Demain published over 500 papers, co-edited or co-authored fourteen books, and took out 21 U.S. patents.[4][5]

  1. ^ "A biotechnology mind in ferment Arnold Demain still thrives as core leader in industrial biotech". Industrial Biotechnology. 2 (4): 239–244. 2006. doi:10.1089/ind.2006.2.239.
  2. ^ Renneberg, R. (2007). "Biotech History: About Professor Arnold Demain". Biotechnology Journal. 2 (12): 1469–1473. doi:10.1002/biot.200790130. PMID 18061908. S2CID 32313749.
  3. ^ "Dr. Arnold Demain – 60 years in a scientific career : The Journal of Antibiotics".
  4. ^ a b "A Tribute to Professor Arnold L Demain – a lifetime in industrial microbiology". Microbiology Australia.
  5. ^ a b "Arnold L. Demain". SemGen. Archived from the original on 2013-11-11. Retrieved 2013-11-11.